The late Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo G. Marañon Jr. was given a Normandy Honor for Peace Lifetime Legacy Award at the Ramon Magsaysay Hall in Manila City, Wednesday, April 19.
The late governor was honored for his dedication and effort in marine conservation in Sagay City and for the creation of the 32,000-hectare Sagay Marine Reserve, which started in the 1970s.
His certificate stated that because of the efforts of Marañon, a once hotbed for illegal fishing has become a marine reserve. The marine reserve has provided food, preserved biodiversity and has become an internationally acclaimed green destination, it added.
The award was received by his daughter Agnes Marañon-Iida.
Lawyer Antonio “Tony” Oposa, who chairs the award giving body, said “inspiration is the highest and most powerful form of leadership. A good story is most powerful to inspire and set hearts on fire.”
Rep. Alfredo D. Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District), the governor’s son, said that their family is grateful for the recognition and he hopes that the legacy that the governor left will continue to inspire the generations to come.
The other recipients of the Normandy Honor for Peace Lifetime Legacy Award were former Environment Secretary Gina Lopez, Jun Factoran, and Met Palaypay.
The awards were given during the “Good Stories and Gratitude to the Moving Characters: Bayanihan na Pasalamat Para Sa Katauhan” recognition rites.
The Normandy Honors for Peace Awards were presented by Normandy Chair for Peace Emilie Gaillard, the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development in Washington DC and Paris, Asia-Pacific Center for Environment Law in Singapore, International Council for Environmental Law in New York and Madrid, and the Environmental Law Program of the University of Hawaii.
The event also honored various personalities in the field of environment education, law, solid waste management, road sharing, eco-governance, caregivers of the law of life, marine conservation, and international environmental law.
Present during the awarding were Senator Cynthia Villar and former Chief Justice Hilario Davide.*